Bill Guerin’s trade for Quinn Hughes on Friday night sent a message to the rest of the NHL: The Wild general manager is all in for this season.
Guerin could have made any number of deals in order to show that he wanted his team to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons. But trading for Hughes — giving up three talented young players in Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, along with a 2026 first-round pick — goes beyond trying to win a round.
It was a trade that was made to turn the franchise into a Stanley Cup contender — no small feat for a team playing in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. That’s why it’s difficult to believe Guerin is done playing let’s make a deal.
The Wild could use more scoring, and their depth at center is thin after Rossi was jettisoned. Guerin is almost certainly working the phones, and the NHL trade deadline isn’t until March 6.
There should be plenty of options, including pending free agent winger Alex Tuch of Buffalo and veteran center Ryan O’Reilly of Nashville, but there is one player who would be a perfect fit: Sidney Crosby.
Before you tell me that the Penguins will never trade Crosby, that he has no interest in leaving Pittsburgh after 21 seasons, and that any thought of the future Hall of Fame center wearing the Wild’s sweater is a pipe dream, allow me to explain.
The Penguins are 14-9-2 this season and one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Since starting the season 9-4-2, the Penguins have gone 5-4-7. That means they are really 5-11 since their hot start, and things have gotten worse of late. On Saturday, Pittsburgh fumbled away a 5-1 lead against San Jose and lost 6-5 in overtime. On Sunday, the Penguins led Utah 3-0 entering the third period and lost 4-3 in overtime.
The Penguins’ struggles aren’t a surprise given they have missed the playoffs the past three seasons while trying to keep core veterans Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Crosby. Those three players were around for the Penguins’ glory years, but those days are in the rearview mirror.
Crosby, meanwhile, still has plenty left in the tank, leading the Penguins in scoring with 19 goals and 34 points, but his supporting cast isn’t going to get him near a Stanley Cup.
Enter the Wild.
Crosby won the first of his three Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2009, playing with current Wild general manager Bill Guerin. The now 38-year-old Crosby was 21 at the time, and Guerin was acquired in March of that season from the Islanders to add a veteran who already had won a Cup. Guerin’s age at the time: 38.
By all accounts, Crosby loves routine and familiarity, and joining a franchise that is run by Guerin would provide both of those things.
Guerin’s presence in Minnesota wouldn’t be the only selling point when it comes to familiar faces. One of Crosby’s best friends in hockey is former Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who won Stanley Cups with Crosby in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Fleury remains associated with the Wild, and he has settled in the Twin Cities with his family.
Fleury’s decision to play for Canada in the World Championships last spring in Sweden was in part influenced by his desire to call Crosby a teammate one last time. In fact, Fleury had announced entering the season that it would be his last. But when the Wild lost to Vegas in the opening round of the playoffs, an opportunity came up that he couldn’t pass on.
“Think about it,” Fleury told The Athletic. “Why wouldn’t I come over here? You get to keep playing hockey a little while longer. Get to play with Sid one last time.”
Said Crosby: “It’s something that I didn’t even think was going to be a possibility, to be honest with you. It’s even better that way when you least expect it. Playing against him in Minnesota, and then seeing him play his final game there in the playoffs, I just chalked it up as an amazing career and was happy for him and happy for all the recognition and just the response that he got all the way through the year. But I never thought I’d ever have the chance to play with him again. It’s pretty cool.”
Fleury was invited because Canada needed help in goal. Canada’s general manager Kyle Dubas, who also happens to be the Penguins’ GM, called Guerin to get permission to see if Fleury would be willing to play.